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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · branch · key · dip · fall · perch · land · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fall — to drop
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fall — the season
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. land — to come down
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. key — in music
  17. land — ground
  18. key — for a lock
  19. branch — a division
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — the fish
  23. land — a country
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com